Birthday Karaoke
by viva rose
Summary: Second installment in the Karaoke mini-series. Vincent gets on stage to dedicate a song on his birthday...


A/N: Happy birthday Vincent Valentine! The second in my series of one-shots for Karaoke!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor the song. They are (c) of Squeenix and Unavox (Illusion) respectively.

Plot: One-shot, Vincent-centric with some Chaos thrown in for good measure.

QQQQQQ

Sunday evening was always a quiet one at 7th Heaven. Most people had gone about doing their repenting that morning or were nursing hangovers from Saturday in order to be able to function when they went into work on Monday. Surprisingly enough one of her increasingly regular Sunday customers was now Vincent Valentine. Perhaps that was an indirect reason for the lack of business as well. People generally didn't want the company of a person with four demons for mental company. The gunman in turn however did little to bring notice to himself and usually sat in a corner of the bar looking as if he might have fallen asleep or was in deep thought. But you would be hard pressed to _not_ notice Vincent Valentine, with the red cloak that matched his eyes and golden claw that hid his left hand, not to mention he was one of the tallest males that had been part of AVALANCHE.

So here they were, the almost empty bar that was nearing closing time. Vincent was in his usual corner, and as a creature of habit was looking like a disgruntled gargoyle. Tifa walked up to him, taking the empty tumbler glass from the table,

"Can I get you another one?" she asked. A silent nod was the only response she got from him and she went to refill his glass. Absinthe. Nasty stuff that Tifa and most of her patrons couldn't stand. But she kept it handy for Vincent, and this was what, his fourth or fifth drink? He certainly wasn't nursing them tonight, that was for sure. _I wonder what's bothering him_, Tifa thought as she approached the gunman. Setting the drink down in front of him and stepping away Tifa was about to go to her other customers when Vincent's deep voice pulled her back.

"Tifa, you've really cleaned the place up."

"Oh yeah, I have," she grinned. "Its really helping business too."

"Except for when I'm here."

"Well…" Tifa couldn't exactly say that it wasn't true. Vincent Valentine could scare just about anyone away with just a look.

"Tifa, it was a joke," the gunman said, sternly as before.

"Oh." Tifa could only stare at him. Vincent Valentine making a joke? "You need to work on them still," she shook her head in exasperation, smiling slightly.

"Is the karaoke system new as well?" Vincent asked, as he sipped the absinthe in an absentminded manner.

"Yes, actually Reno and Rude broke it in on Friday," Tifa giggled at the memory of the two Turks.

"I see." Silence followed this and Tifa took it that this would be the extent of Vincent's sociability tonight and went about taking care of the rest of her customers.

The rest of the evening went about without event and Tifa was in the process of getting ready to close the bar, most of the customers had left by then. But then an airy breathing sound started to echo throughout the bar, for a second she looked about in a confused manner then found lights to the karaoke stage dimmed out and the glow of the machine indicating that it was playing a song. Someone had decided to sing at the last minute. Not that Tifa objected. She went about cleaning the bar as the ghostly music continued to play for several more seconds before being joined by a bass-heavy techno beat. The lights were still off on the small stage as the song went into its first minute. A particularly long intro, as the ghostly breathing gave way completely to a frantic techno beat. And then, stepping out of the shadows of the stage, much to her surprise was Vincent.

_A breakdown, inside me_

_Is slowly taking place_

_My veins have all changed courses_

My blood begins to race

His voice was deep and steady as he sang, his eyes closed tightly and his face contorted as if by doing so it might make the experience go away. His red cloak was oddly missing, making him look smaller and perhaps more human than usual. But as he continued, and she realized his body was partially transforming. The power wings of the demon Chaos suddenly ripped through the flesh of his shoulder blades.

_Uncontrollable desires_

_Are taking over me_

_I look at my reflection_

And taint is all that I see

Vincent clutched the golden claw that hid his left hand against his chest as if he was trying to contain something. Then in a motion that suggested agony or perhaps shame, covered his face for a moment only to pull the gauntlet encased hand through his hair and pull on it a frustrated manner and staggered backwards. It was then that Tifa saw that Chaos and fully emerged and only instead of possessing Vincent, the demon stood independently of his host and gave a fanged grin to the mortal and locked golden eyes with red. The lights above and around the stage started flashing and alternating in a frantic manner that mirrored the tempo of the song.

_I make believe it's fiction_

_A ghost inside my head_

Perhaps it's an illusion That sits beside my bed

Vincent turned away sharply from the demon, clutching his head in a despairing manner, only to look back over his shoulder in perhaps hopes that the demon would have vanished. Which Chaos seemed to have done for the moment and Vincent sat on the edge of the stage, only to have Chaos reemerge from the darkness and perch next to him on the stage. With what seemed like great effort Vincent jumped to his feet, only to have his left arm caught by the demon and with a few quick motions the golden gauntlet was undone and had fallen to the floor, Vincent's demonic arm in plain view. The blackened limb was more demonic than human, as if it were the clawed arm of a mythical animal. Wrinkled and burnt flesh with dark blue veins that were too close to the surface of the skin, slowly fading and blending to the normal pale of the gunman's upper arm and shoulder. His hand seemed slightly larger than the other, the fingers long and blackened with thick dark nails that were more like claws protruding from them.

_Can someone, please tell me _

_Why I feel the way I do_

_This misery inside me burns_

From the fires fueled by you

Chaos too leapt to his feet, following the human like shadow and when Vincent rounded him to point a shaking but accusing finger at the demon. But Chaos only smirked and shook his head. The demon mouthed one word at the gunman. One name. And with perhaps even more emotion that before in his deep voice Vincent sang the chorus a second time, swaying slightly with the music as if it might take him away from the painful realization.

_A melt down within me _

Has washed away my will

_To walk the path that I've chosen_

To get me up this hill

Vincent dropped to his knees, a defeated look on his features and he clutched his head shaking it in a denying manner, almost violently. But then he forced himself to stand up again, taking the demon's offered hand to pull himself up as he did. Like a man resigned to his fate. Not fighting it. He had chosen it. Had to face it now. Perhaps even with the help of his demons.

_Unanswered questions _

_Compare my train of thought_

_I swim through murky waters_

Its tail, which I've caught

Vincent looked around wildly as if expecting something to jump out at him. As if trying to regain his footing that he'd suddenly lost. Then in a blur of motion he pulled out his gun, Cerberus and pointed it at Chaos, pulling the trigger. The gunshot echoed and for a moment it appear as though the demon had been hit. But he lowered his hand to show a bullet tightly clasped in his fist.

I make believe you love me

_Its snakes that burst inside _

_Perhaps it's no illusion,_

_It binds me where I lie_

Chaos lunged at Vincent, claws tearing at the gunman that was his host and Vincent stepped backwards dodging. A series swift movement later and Chaos had Vincent on his back, pinning the gunman against the stage floor for a second. Vincent's eyes were wide as if he'd just realized that Chaos was indeed quite material and quite real. Also quite capable of destroying him.

_Can someone, please tell me _

_Why I feel the way I do_

_This misery inside me burns_

From the fires fueled by you

Chaos released Vincent with a growl and vanished into the darkness. For a moment Vincent sat there, the despair quite plain and unusually open on his face. In fact the entire performance had been very exposing for the gunman. Very personal. Almost ritualistic. The final chorus repeat came and Vincent's voice, deep and mournful as ever but still darkly seductive filled the empty bar.

_Can someone, please tell me _

_Why I feel the way I do_

_This misery inside me burns_

From the fires fueled by you

The song finished a sudden drop from the heavy beat and a return of the ghostly breathing, finalized by the annoyingly high twang of a guitar. As the last note faded out, Vincent brought the Cerberus to his temple and pulled the trigger. No shot rang out, it was a symbolic gesture. The lights that had been spasmodically dancing over the stage throughout the song dimmed again, leaving the gunman in comforting darkness. For a moment it was silent then the metal clasps of the gauntlet could be heard snapping back into place.

For several minutes he sat there, catching his breath. Only when Tifa approached him did he stand and move to collect his cloak from where he'd left it on his corner table. Paying his tab silently, Tifa noticed his hands were shaking slightly.

"Why that song Vincent?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"I meant to dedicate it to Lucrecia," was the only answer the gunman gave, before turning and walking out of the bar. It was then that Tifa looked at the calendar. Today was the thirteenth of October. Vincent's birthday.


End file.
